On the way, Tang San summoned his Clear Sky Hammer once more. He saw that parts of the hammer had already begun to rust—a direct result of the damage to its origin caused by absorbing inappropriate soul rings.
Tang San couldn't help but recall his achievements in his previous life.
Back then, he had pushed the Clear Sky Hammer to its limits: his first soul ring was the 100,000-year Titan Giant Ape, and his final one was the 990,000-year Deep Sea Devil Whale. After passing the divine trials, both of his martial souls were fully equipped with soul rings over 100,000 years.
But now?
His Blue Silver Emperor bloodline had been stripped. His first martial soul was now the trash-tier Blue Silver Grass, enhanced only by a few toxic attribute soul rings.
His mighty Clear Sky Hammer, a symbol of raw power, had been defiled with two soul rings from soft-bodied soul beasts, and one soul ring from a corrosive acidic slime.
The only halfway-decent ring he got from Shrek was less than a thousand years old.
The contrast was devastating. Hard to accept.
"In this state… will the Asura God still choose me?"
Tang San raised his head to the sky, then looked down again, a bit more resolved.
"As long as… as long as I can earn Xiao Wu's love and acknowledgment… If I can draw the Asura Sword, I will still become the Asura God. I will take back my Blue Silver Emperor bloodline. I will replace all these soul rings. I will return to the peak I once knew. Then—"
He thought of the one truly responsible for his miserable life in this timeline—
Huo Yuhao.
If that mutt Huo Yuhao had just obediently served the Tang family, my plans would have gone smoothly. My parents would've ruled the Douluo Continent, I would've controlled the God Realm, and my son Tang Wulin would have seduced Gu Yuena to steal the Dragon God position. I would've created a lineage-centric empire ruled by the Tang family, dominating all beings in the Douluo universe.
But all of that was ruined by that ungrateful white-eyed wolf.
Because of Huo Yuhao, he had to reincarnate, and the mighty Tang San was forced to start from scratch, enduring disgrace after disgrace.
He still had ten thousand years, and even if Huo Yuhao ascended to the God Realm, it would take him twenty to thirty years to return.
But Huo Yuhao… don't worry. I, Tang San, will never forget you. I'm already weaving a script just for you. Just wait. When you reappear ten thousand years from now, we'll see who laughs last. In the last life, I made you my precious son-in-law. This time, I'll turn you into a maggot—forever crawling in the shadow of Tang family rule.
"Huo Yuhao," Tang San growled, voice twisted with hatred,
"even though I've suffered countless setbacks, so what? Minor tides of history can be shifted—but the grand tide cannot be changed. I am Tang San—the child chosen by the Asura God King. I'm the man fated to rule the entire Douluo universe. Time is on my side. From this moment on, I have ten thousand years to prepare how I'll crush you. So wait for me."
Just imagining Huo Yuhao's future tragedy under his schemes brought Tang San a bit of comfort.
—
Shrek Academy.
Tang San returned to Shrek's camp. As he looked up and saw the academy's emblem—a green, leafy head with two long trumpet-like ears—his expression immediately grew uncomfortable.
In his past life, at first, he was proud to be one of Shrek's monsters.
Later, Shrek was proud of him.
The academy had become a critical chess piece in his grand scheme to control Douluo's fate.
But now, looking at that emblem, what Tang San remembered was his disgrace, and the sunflower that still hurt deep inside him.
That symbol—it forced him to relive memories he wanted to forget.
If he could, Tang San would have turned around and left.
But… Xiao Wu was still inside Shrek. So he had to grit his teeth and continue forward.
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar came up to greet him.
"Ah San, how did the soul ring hunt go?" Dai Mubai asked.
Tang San gave Dai Mubai a deep stare, then revealed his soul rings.
"Ah… this…"
Dai Mubai was stunned.
"Ah San, why did you attach a hundred-year soul ring?"
"That's what I want to ask you!"
Tang San snapped back.
"What kind of person did you get for me!?"
"Ah San, just tell us what happened on your trip," Oscar said.
Tang San calmed his breathing and began to recount how he had followed Hai-ge to hunt soul rings… only to be set up by him. He explained how he was forced to absorb four soul rings that were completely incompatible with the Clear Sky Hammer.
Of course, there were some memories he chose to leave out—memories far too shameful for even Tang San to speak aloud.
Dai Mubai was dumbfounded—this time truly dumbfounded. Hai-ge was someone he had secretly recruited to help plot against Tang San by destroying his spirit rings, all in order to win Xiao Wu's affection. He had only instructed Hai-ge to take Tang San to the Star Dou Forest and casually find some spirit rings completely incompatible with the Clear Sky Hammer.
The result? Hai-ge had arranged for two slug-like creatures, an acidic slime, and a hundred-year-old Shrek beast as spirit rings for Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer. Such a talent! Still, brilliant work.
Of course, Dai Mubai couldn't show his excitement. When he heard about Tang San's misfortune, he immediately displayed a look of pain and regret.
"What did you say? You said that Hai-ge treated you like this?"
Dai Mubai immediately knelt before Tang San, his face twisted in anguish.
"Ah San, I'm sorry, it's my fault I harmed you."
As he spoke, he slapped his face hard, alternating cheeks until they were swollen.
"It's all my fault, Ah San."
Tang San pretended to be shocked and deliberately waited until Dai Mubai's face was completely swollen before lowering his head to pull him up.
"What are you doing, Mubai?"
"Ah San, why don't you kill me? Otherwise, I won't be able to forgive myself." Dai Mubai's tears flowed freely.
"Mubai, this matter has nothing to do with you. At most, it was a misjudgment of character. I, Tang San, do not blame you." Tang San said calmly.
"You really don't blame me?" Dai Mubai looked at Tang San in disbelief.
"Of course. We are brothers—brothers who've fought side by side. How could I blame you?" Tang San replied.
On the way back, Tang San had considered the possibility that Dai Mubai might have conspired with Hai-ge to set him up. But the thought was quickly dismissed—Mubai had no motive. Dai Mubai, like Tang San, was also a reincarnator. He needed Tang San's help to defeat his brother and eventually hold onto Tang San's thigh to ascend to godhood.
Frankly, without Tang San, Dai Mubai wouldn't even survive his brother's challenge, let alone become a god. How could he have the guts to plot against Tang San?
Thus, there was only one explanation left—Dai Mubai had inadvertently harmed him by introducing Hai-ge.
Although Tang San was certain Dai Mubai hadn't intended harm, the incident was still indirectly related to him. Don't be fooled by Tang San's forgiving attitude—someone as petty as a needle's eye like him would never truly let Dai Mubai off the hook.
Though not to the point of death, Tang San had already decided to strip Dai Mubai of the God of War position.
If not for Dai Mubai's current usefulness—his influence over the Star Luo Empire was key to forming a future alliance against the Spirit Empire—Tang San would have already turned on him.
That night, while Tang San was cultivating to prepare for the upcoming round-robin tournament—hoping to catch the attention of Xiao Wu—on the other side of the wall, in Dai Mubai's room—
Dai Mubai was reporting his "victory" with pride.
"You mean that brat absorbed two slugs, an acidic slime, and a hundred-year-old Shrek beast's spirit rings?" Xiao Wu asked.
"Of course. The Clear Sky Hammer is a power-type martial spirit. Just from their names, you know those spirit beasts are completely incompatible. The acidic slime's spirit ring could even corrode the hammer!" Dai Mubai replied smugly.
"Xiao Wu, what do you think of my work?"
"Mubai-ge, you did great—far beyond my expectations. Tonight, and for the entire next week, Xiao Wu belongs to you. Let's train together."
Thus, by betraying his brother Tang San, Dai Mubai gained the exclusive right to "train" with Xiao Wu for a week.
Two Flowers Bloom, Each with Its Branch
In a secret manor in Heaven Dou City, Huo Qiqiang, Yu Xiaomen, Qian Renxue, Snow Empress, and Lin Chen were holding a private meeting.
"The core of my planned Spark Team lies in the superior martial spirits of the three upper sects," Huo Qiqiang explained.
"Luo Xingqi's martial spirit is the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, an upgrade of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Mu Yuanfang's martial spirit is the Golden Clear Sky Hammer, an upgrade of the original. Lin Chen, do you know why your martial spirit is still the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon?"
"Master, Lin Chen does not know," Lin Chen responded.
Huo Qiqiang produced a crystal vessel containing a golden fruit etched with dragon patterns. At first sight, Lin Chen felt a deep longing from his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial spirit.
"This is the Golden Dragon Essence Fruit. Consume it, and your martial spirit will evolve into the Golden Holy Dragon," Huo Qiqiang said.
"Golden Holy Dragon…" Lin Chen muttered. This spirit was legendary in Douluo Continent.
Yu Xiaogang, his former teacher, had once attempted to evolve his spirit into the Golden Holy Dragon, but his body couldn't withstand the process, resulting in a reverse regression to Luo Sanpao.
Huo Qiqiang turned to Yu Xiaomen.
"Show him the power of your martial spirit."
"Yes, Master." Yu Xiaomen summoned his martial spirit. Nine spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, red, red—rose in sequence. Behind him appeared a golden dragon radiating immense dragon might.
Lin Chen immediately felt his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon suppressed. This was not the suppression of the strong over the weak but a suppression of bloodline.
In that instant, he realized the gap between the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and the Golden Holy Dragon. His desire for the Golden Dragon Essence Fruit burned even brighter.
"Do you want it?" Huo Qiqiang asked.
Lin Chen nodded silently.
"What is meant to be yours will be yours, but there is a process to follow." Huo Qiqiang handed the fruit to Qian Renxue, then produced two cards and gave them to Lin Chen.
"Go resolve that old grievance from your past."
Lin Chen accepted the cards, his eyes flashing with understanding. His urgency for the fruit lessened.
As Yu Xiaomen withdrew his martial spirit, he glanced at the fruit in Qian Renxue's hand and the cards in Lin Chen's, a pleased expression spreading across his face. Everything was understood without words.